"So the interview is in an hour and you're still in bed?" Cline asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"I can't get up," Chase groaned.
"Don't make me drag you out of bed," Cline threatened.
"Fine," he sighed, dragging himself out of bed.
It had been another few weeks, filming was coming to an end and now they were in press mode. Doing interviews, they were even invited to a comic con. The group of friends were all pretty bummed because they didn't know where this would take them.
"Can someone get my necklace for me? I can usually do it, but it isn't working for me today," Nova asked, holding her necklace on the back of her neck.
"Come here," Rudy instructed, motioning for her to spin around.
"Hold your hair woman, what is this? Amateur hour?"
"Shut up," she tried to kick him while he was standing behind her.
"Behave, children," JD scolded.
"No," they said at the same time.
Rudy attached the necklace, his fingertips lingering a little too long on her neck. When they decided to become friends a few weeks ago, they set the limit as just friends. However, Rudy had made long lists on why friends was a good idea. His conclusion? He was in love with Nova Copper.
"Thanks," Nova turned to him and smiled, his knees felt like they were jello. He ignored the feeling and returned the smile.
"Are you nervous?" Austin asked as they sat in directors chairs in a studio.
"Not so much, I'm with all of you, if I was alone, I might be," Nova answered.
"Don't be nervous, it'll be fun," Rudy assured her.
Nova thanked him, she was sat beside him because naturally, they found each other. Just like Rudy, Novs pondered what her true feelings were towards Rudy. She was hopeless and in love, but mostly hopeless.
"Hey guys," the woman greeted the group.
"So let's start off with and introduction and you just saying who you play in the show the smiled.
This was easy enough, she could do that, Nova didn't want to admit that she was actually nervous. "I'm Nova Copper and I play Liza." Okay, that wasn't so bad, Nova thought to herself.
"So you guys are just like, massively popular like this almost happened overnight with the show. What is it like working on a show like Outer Banks?"
"It's amazing, none of us really expected the sort of game we got. Like, we always use our social media as a kind of measurement. I went from thousands of followers and I'm talking maybe three thousand to having a million after season one was out for three days," Bailey replied.
"Nova, we hear that you didn't originally have the part as Liza, how did you become apart of this?"
She was good with this question, a nice, simple answer. "Yeah so I was actually on vacation in South Carolina with a group of my friends. Shoutout to them, you can see them in various scenes in the show. Anyway, I was hanging out on set one day, the girl that was originally playing Liza wasn't a good fit. Anyways, I was hanging out with Rudy and Jonas - our director - saw us and basically told me to read a script with Rudy and we had such a connection that he gave me the role. It's so shocking to me because I have never been in anything before this."
"That is insane," the interviewer agreed. "What was the most challenging thing for you guys this season?"
"Oh man," JD began. "We had been filming for a few months already and we had a meeting and we were told that half of our filming had been just completely destroyed. We had to reshoot everything we had worked on and that was a little disheartening at first."
She asked a few more questions and then said, "Okay so we are going to do a quick thing where I'll ask a question and your point to the person you think fits what I say the most. Ready?"
"Oh yeah," Rudy adjusted in his chair, he was leaning on his elbow that was close to Nova, leaning into her. He was doing it on purpose, but he would never tell her.
"Okay, who is the messiest?"
"Bailey has clothes everywhere all of the time," Drew answered, earning him a light hit from her.
"Who has the weirdest habits?"
"I wouldn't say it's weird, but Nova always cleans and she's super orderly," Chase responded.
"That's very true," Bailey nodded.
"Who is always late?"
"Chase," Cline answered quickly with a laugh.
"I am not!" He defended.
"Literally he is late because he's taking a nap," Austin nodded.
Rudy was so screwed, he had been looking at Nova almost the entire time, staring at her mouth as she spoke. He realized he had been doing it thanks to Sarah giving him this death stare and turned his attention to the interviewer.
"Who is the funniest?"
"Rudy and JD are hilarious," Nova answered. Rudy turned again to look at her. "They have us laughing as soon as they get together."
"Aw I appreciate it," he threw his arm around the back of her chair.
"Best cook?"
"Rudy and Nova can both throw down in the kitchen," Cline answered. "Like it's awesome having two people that like to cook so we don't eat out as much."
The interview wrapped up a little while and they all thanked the girl for the opportunity. "So what should we do today?" Sarah asked as her friends got done with the interview.
"I just want to hang out with you guys," Bailey started. "We don't know what's going to happen soon and I want to spend as much time together as possible."
"What are your plans after this?" Drew turned to Sarah.
She looked up at Austin, "I don't know. I guess I ever really thought about when the time came to an end."
"Well you know you can always stay with Drew and me in L.A," he offered.
"What are you gonna do, Nova?" Chase looked over at her. "You're being really quiet."
"My head is pounding," she whispered, climbing into the car.
"Do you want to take something?" Rudy asked, concerned.
"When I get home," she nodded, her eyes squeezed shut.
Sarah was sitting behind Rudy, she hit him and mouthed "Comfort her!"
"How?!" He mouthed back.
"Put her head in your lap and play with her hair, Jesus you suck," Chase butted in.
"Nova, that window probably won't help," he started.
Nova looked at him apprehensively and then decided he was right, she put her head on him and shut her eyes again. Rudy began playing with her hair. He had missed small, intimate moments like this more than anything. When they decided to become friends, they put strict limits up, but he didn't mind breaking them.
"We're gonna go to the boardwalk later if you're up to it, Novs," Cline rubbed her arm.
"Sounds good guys, I'm just gonna go lay down for now," she nodded.
Rudy was usually with her when she got her migraines and he knew she liked having someone with her. "Do you want me to get Sarah or Shawn?" He asked, he wanted to respect her.
"Can you stay with me? Sarah will talk too much and Shawn won't play with my hair," Nova asked.
"Are you sure?" Rudy asked, cautiously.
"Yeah, if you're okay with it," she said, going into the bathroom and coming out minutes later. The grey sweater he told her to wear months ago was on her now. He smiled, he didn't mind she took the sweater as hers, he actually loved it, but he wondered why she kept it the entire time.
"Sorry, I know it's your sweater, it's just my favorite thing to wear," Nova crawled into her bed beside Rudy.
"Keep it," he said softly as he ran him fingers through her hair gently.
"It's yours."
"It's ours." He corrected her. "We're friends, friends share things."
"I guess you're right," she yawned, falling asleep soon after.
"Should we leave them?" Bailey asked as they poked their heads into Nova's room.
"Should we snap a cute lil picture?" Drew asked, taking out his phone.
"Do we go without them?" Cline asked.
Rudy and Nova were currently cuddling, the couple months of not being friends or close catching up to them; they missed this. His arms wrapped around her protectively and she was holding onto his hands.
"We're awake," Nova said, keeping her eyes closed.
"And we heard it all," Rudy joked.
"How are you feeling?" Drew asked as the pair sat up.
"My head hurts a little less, it's definitely manageable," she nodded.
"Well we have a meeting tonight with Jonas and everyone and then we are going to the boardwalk, so you want to come with or have us FaceTime you?" Cline asked.
Nova looked at Rudy and shook her head, "No, but I'm going like this," she said indicating she was staying in her comfortable clothes.
The group made their way to the office, sitting around the large, brown table. They were all debating over the best Disney Princess, when Jonas came in with a smile.
"I know we just got done filming season two," he started right away. "But guess who got renewed for season three!" He held up the paper work.
The entire room erupted in celebration. "So my main cast," he motioned towards the Pogues and the Kooks. "You have new contracts to negotiate and sign."
"I thought I died at the country club in JJ's arms?" Nova asked.
"You got shot, yes. However, I don't want to kill you. I don't know if you know this, Nova, but these last what? Nine months, you've really became apart of this family so have your friends. I know Jordyn is into clothing, I still haven't replaced Carlie so I want you to get your brother and friends on FaceTime."
Nova was in shock for a few moments, she thought that Liza's story ended when she got shot, she thought that she was done with the show. She looked at Rudy and he smiled at her widely as tears brimmed her eyes.
"Call them before you make me cry," Bailey laughed in attempts to not cry.
"What's up ogre breath- wait," she moved closer to the camera. "Are you crying?"
"It's happy tears!" Nova confirmed. "I got renewed for season three!" Her friends cheered from the other side.
"But Jonas wants to talk to all of you, so get your asses here," Nova demanded.
"Okay boss lady," Jordyn said in the background.
"Be there soon love of my life," Sarah sang.
Nova sat there anxiously waiting for her friends and brother, she really was not expecting this news and she felt like she might throw up.
"Hey are we in trouble?" Shawn walked in.
"Anything but," Jonas said.
"I just got done telling them we got renewed for season three," Jonas started. "Now we have an entire plot already written out in anticipation for this. There is a new character, her name is Kylie, she's a Kook. Now Sarah, I want you to do a chemistry read with Drew and Austin, but I am offering you the role before we even put it up."
"Are you serious?" She asked, looking over at Austin.
"Yes, we will do that tomorrow maybe? Shawn, you had to know this was coming," Jonas's face had a broad grin on it.
"No way," Shawn's face lit up.
"I need a production assistant, I know you're capable and I know you can do this and I'm formally hiring you," Jonas smiled.
Shawn looked at Nova and they hugged each other.
"Jordyn, Morgan, you two work together and are just a joy to have around. I never replaced Carlie so I will need costumes and wardrobe."
"You're offering it to both of us?" Morgan asked, astounded.
The room erupted in celebration one last time. "I know all of you were pretty sad about not being here anymore, but after the premier of season two, you will come back here in June, it's only six months away."
"Since we're all here, my grandparents cabin in Alaska is free for like the week of New Years if we would want to do that?" Rudy offered the group of friends.
"Oh my God," Sarah gushed, clinging to Austin, that would be so fun.
"Let's do it," Nova nodded, looking at her brother. Today could not get any better for her.